How The Invention Of Video Games Saved The World From Space Invaders

If only your hand-eye coordination and video game skills could actually save the world. This is a new short film that shows the power of hard work and retro gaming.

The Invention of Video Games highlights an inventor named Herman A. Tari (get it?) who creates the world’s first video game and joystick, only to find that no one has any use for his work. As Herman starts to doubt his work, an alien invasion consumes the Earth. Helpless, the world looks for a lonely hero who can defeat the space invaders to save the planet.

This short film is pretty funny as it rewrites video game history with a bent towards comedy, science fiction, and the absurd. The short film speaks to that part of humanity that wants to help others through innovation, resourcefulness, and technology, and the ability to fool robots with a cheap robot disguise made with cardboard boxes and a garbage can lid.

The short film was directed and co-written by Matt MacDonald, and co-written by Anthony Falleroni for The Continuum, a collective of gamers and filmmakers. The Continuum is also a network that can be found on Stage 5 Entertainment TV on YouTube.com, an Internet TV network that is dedicated to emerging gaming trends and geek culture.

Director Matt MacDonald is a filmmaker from Los Angeles, California. He got his MFA in Film and Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He gained recognition for his earlier short film, GoldenBox, which was screened at film festivals throughout the country and at San Diego Comic-Con, garnered numerous accolades, and caught the eye of the film and video game industry.